Author: News Desk

Donald Trump’s first days in office will be symbolically important and his actions will likely be a mixed bag of domestic and international policies. He will want to show voters that he means business while demonstrating America’s power abroad. Putting presidential executive orders to use To get things rolling quickly, Trump will depend on presidential executive orders, which are directives issued by the president. These orders bypass US Congress and can cover a range of issues like national security, foreign policy, and regulatory matters. A pile of them is expected to be ready for him to sign on January 20.…

It has been an intense past year for the Princess of Wales as she underwent cancer treatment Kate Middleton’s cancer timeline: From diagnosis after secret surgery to remission The Princess of Wales is making a steady return to royal duties following what has been one of the most tumultuous years of her life. In March, Kate confirmed she had been diagnosed with an unknown form of cancer. What followed was a nine-month battle as she underwent “preventative chemotherapy”. She endured intense online speculation in the weeks leading up to the public announcement and has largely stayed out of the spotlight…

MPs call on government to introduce entitlement to paid bereavement leave for miscarriage in new legislation ‘I had three miscarriages in one year – bereavement leave would have helped us process our grief’ Women and their partners should be entitled to paid bereavement leave if they experience a miscarriage as part of new employment laws being brought in by the Labour government, MPs have urged. MPs and campaign groups are calling on ministers to ensure that a period of paid leave is available to all women and partners who experience pre-24 week pregnancy loss – to match the existing provision…

Shadow attorney general Lord Wolfson KC says Labour’s reasonings for planning to repeal the Legacy Act ‘make no sense’ Gerry Adams in line for ‘payday from taxpayer’ under plans to repeal Legacy Act, says think tank report Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams will receive taxpayer-funded compensation if government plans to repeal the Legacy Act go ahead, a think tank has claimed. Mr Adams, 76, is currently blocked from receiving compensation over his detention in prison without trial in the 1970s, despite winning an appeal in the Supreme Court in 2020 to overturn historical convictions for two attempted prison breaks.…

Sir Keir Starmer hit by second ministerial resignation in six months as Tulip Siddiq steps down as anti-corruption minister No 10 refuses to rule out emergency budget as fresh inflation figures due  Rachel Reeves has opened the door to emergency spending cuts as No 10 refused to rule out the possibility of an emergency budget in the spring. Facing a grilling from MPs in the Commons on Tuesday over the rising cost of government borrowing and the recent falls in the value of the pound, Ms Reeves said there was a need to go “further and faster” in search of…

DWP slammed again after WASPI scandal as 10,000 pensioners urged to check for bungle The Department for Work and Pensions has been criticised for more failures of communication after its much-maligned handling of the WASPI pension changes. In a damning statement, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), Rebecca Hilsenrath, said the department was “failing to learn from its mistakes” as she revealed the case of a pensioner who was not told for eight years about a change to his payments that would leave him £3,000 a year worse off. She urged the more than 10,000 pensioners who were on…

IBM to supply tech for new Emergency Services Network A new communications system for emergency services to share more information in real-time is to be designed and built by tech firm IBM, the Home Office has announced. The scandal-hit project to bring in the Emergency Services Network (ESN), first launched in 2015, was supposed to have replaced the ageing Airwave system for police, fire and ambulance services in England, Scotland and Wales, by 2020. But it has been beset by years of delays and costs running into billions of pounds. It is set to support more than 300,000 emergency responders…

Warning over bill that could change what you talk about in the pub Workers who go for drinks together have been warned about what they talk about in the pub. The equalities regulator has warned of the “complexity” employers might face in deciding whether an overheard conversation in a workplace could amount to harassment. The Government’s Employment Rights Bill includes provisions to require employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment at work by third parties. Warning over bill that could change what you talk about in the pub https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ehrc-pub-talk-work-workers-bill-b2679714.html

Starmer’s Chagos deal in the balance ‘as UK to wait for Trump approval before signing’ Britain will await approval from Donald Trump before signing a controversial deal on relinquishing control of the Chagos Islands, it has been revealed. Sir Keir Starmer’s government had reportedly been optimistic about a deal to cede control of the islands to Mauritius, following a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), before the US president-elect is inaugurated on 20 January. But officials briefed on the talks told the Financial Times that while “good progress” has been made in the protracted talks with Mauritius, they…

The SMEs shortlisted for the Cork Chamber Company of the Year Awards in Ireland. Since then, the company has grown rapidly and today employs 35 people helping firms to decarbonise and providing ESG solutions. Based on the South Mall, in Cork, Climeaction was founded in 2021 by Paul Murphy, below, with the aim of providing specialised energy audits for micro-businesses and SMEs. The firm’s services include consultancy, digital tools, and climate action programmes that are tailored to companies to achieve their sustainability targets and goals. Cork Chamber Company of the Year Awards Climeaction said its approach to companies is a…